Wednesday, June 17, 2015

A Travesty of Justice in Egypt

Egyptian ex-president Mohammed Morsi has been sentenced to death. Will such a solution help Egypt or Middle East find domestic peace? Will it improve image of Muslims and Egypt in the world? I am afraid, not. Justice is valued, but at which cost and for whom? How many Egyptians support the decision?

Muslims who support the death penalty believe that its use provides an effective deterrent against crime and as such, helps to promote justice. Islamic law permits the use of the death penalty as a punishment against intentional murder and Fasaad fi al-ardh, which translates to "spreading mischief throughout the land." This type of crime is interpreted in a variety of ways, but can include rape, adultery, treason, apostasy, piracy and homosexual behavior.

These "cultural" values contradict to some universal global values and hinder the mutual understanding between the Muslims and other cultural groups of the world.

According to Amnesty International, globally in 2014, at least 2,466 people were sentenced to death worldwide - up 28% on 2013. Egypt and Nigeria are to blame for this rise.




Legend
Abolished for all crimes - 103 (53%)
Abolished for all crimes except under exceptional/special circumstances (such as crimes committed in wartime) - 6 (3%)
Not used in practice (under a moratorium or have not used capital punishment in at least 10 years) - 50 (26%) 
Retainers of the death penalty in law and practice - 36 (18%)

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